By the time passengers can travel the full length of the Elizabeth line, which remains uncertain, the Crossrail project will have cost around £19bn, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said.
Crossrail Ltd is unable to give passengers or businesses a clear timetable for the opening of the Elizabeth Line or even what services will run on the line when it does open, the PAC said in a new report.
Critical works still need to be completed before the company can provide any certainty on when all remaining works, including many stations, will be completed.
MPs said that while 12 trains an hour are now running through the central section of as part of the first stage of operational testing, a significant software update is needed for the final stage of testing, which will allow up to 24 trains an hour to run.
The committee said that since it last reported on programme in 2019, the forecast cost has increased by a further £1.9bn to £18.9bn, and the opening date for the central section of the Elizabeth line has also been delayed by a further 10 to 20 months.
Committee chair Dame Meg Hillier MP said: ‘We are finally, thankfully seeing a clearer sense of ownership, responsibility, and determination to complete the Crossrail programme from those in charge but there remains a serious, £150m funding gap to finish the programme. There must be a focus now on finding real solutions to this.
‘With fares down because of the ongoing impact of Covid we also need more clarity on the plans and timescale for repaying the significant government loans.’
The committee said it remains very uncertain where the shortfall in funding for Crossrail or the loan repayments will come from, and Transport for London (TfL) must identify new revenue streams. It added that passenger demand for the Elizabeth line itself will be difficult to predict, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and the possible future changes in working patterns.
Report conclusions:
- Risks remain to cost and schedule before the railway opens to the public.
- The collapse in passenger numbers owing to the pandemic, and subsequent bailout to TfL, has complicated how and when TfL and the Greater London Authority will be able to repay the taxpayer loans for Crossrail.
- It is not clear to passengers and businesses when the Elizabeth line will open or what services will be available.
- We are concerned that TfL and the Department do not have a plan to maximise the long-term, wider economic benefits of Crossrail.
- The Department has still not demonstrated that it is embedding lessons learned into its major programmes.
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